Pedal mechanism for musical instruments.



P. WELIN.

PEDAL MBGHANISM FOR MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS.

APPLmATIoN FILED JULYe, 1908.

945,882. Patented Jan. 11,1910.

UNITED sTATEs PATENT oEEicE.

PETER WELIN, OF WORCESTER, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNEASSIGNMENTS. TO KRELL AUTO-GRAND PIANO CO. OF AMERICA, OF CONNERSVIILE,INDIANA, A

CORPORATION OF INDIANA.

PEDAL MECHANISM FOR MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS.

Patented Jan. 11, 1910.

Original application filed September l2, 1907, Serial No. 392,540.Divided and this application filed .Tuly G,

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, PETER VELTN, a citizen of the United States,residing at W'orcester, in the county of lVorcester and State ofMassachusetts, have invented a new and useful Pedal Mechanism forMusical Instruments, of which the following is a specification.

This application is a division of my prior application on pedaloperating mechanism for musical instrument cases, iiled September 12,1907, Serial No. 392,540.

This invention relates to pedal mechanism for musical instruments.

The principal objects of this invention are to provide a constructionespecially adapted for combination upright pianos, but capable ofgeneral use, that will be of such a nature that no large holes orperforations will show either when the pedals are folded in theinstrument or when they are drawn out for automatic playing; to providea construction in which this advantage is brought about chiefly bythefact that the links or arms constituting a part of the pedal connectioniills the notches in the bottom rail or the molding thereof when out andthe connecting links between the pedals and bellows fill the notcheswhen the pedals are folded in the casing; and to provide a constructionof this character in such form that it does not weaken the lower orpedal rail or complicate or increase the cost of the instrument.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will appear hereinafter.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings which sh'ow apracticable form in which the invention may be carried out and in which,

Figure 1 is a front elevation showing the pedals drawn out ready forautomatic playing. Fig. 2 is a horizontal sectional view of the same onthe line 2-2 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a front elevation showing the devicewith the pedals folded within the casing, and Fig. l is a sectional viewsimilar to Fig. 2

showing the parts with the pedals folded in.

The invention is shown as applied to a musical instrument casing 10which is provided with a lower front opening 11 adapted to be closed bysliding panels 12. At the bottom of the opening is the usual lower orpedal rail 13 which is preferably provided with Serial No. 441,954.

a molding 14 at the top thereof having two sets of notches thereinnumbered 15 and 1o respectively. The pedals 17 for operating theinstrument are each provided with a link or pair of links 18, pivoted tothe lower or front part of the pedal and also pivoted insidel the bottomrail below the top thereof. This link is provided with a bend or knee l)whereby when the pedals are drawn out, as shown in Fig. 2, the link willextend along through the notches l5 and close them so that they will notbe readily observed from the front.

For the purpose of operating the bellows 20, the latter is provided withan arm or link 21 which extends downwardly under the bottom rail andterminates in a pivot located adjacent to the lower front edge of thebottom rail. The upper or free end of the pedal is connected with thispivot by means of a link 23 which is provided with two arms 241 and 25making an angle with each other'. Vhen the pedal is out, as shown inFig. 2, this link performs the usual functions of a pedal link but whenthe pedal is folded within the casing, as shown in Fi 4, theconformation of the link to give it a shape similar to that of theoutside and top of the bottom rail becomes important as this permits thearm 241 to extend up the vertical front side of the bottom rail and thearm to extend inwardly through the notch 1G, as indicated in Figs. 3 and4. The slides l2 can then be closed over the notches without interferingwith the pedal connections. In this position of the parts it will beseen that the notches 1G are substantially filled by the arms and thatthe notches l5 are similarly tilled by the bends 19 of the links 1S whenthe pedals are drawn out.

It will be seen that thelinks or pedal connections are so proportionedand located that when the pedals are drawn out of the casing forautomatic playing, the panels slide over the pedal connections incontact with the top of the molding on the bottom rail so that the innerportions of the connections are entirely concealed by the panels.Moreover, when the pedals are folded into the casing, as indicated inFig. f1, the links which connect them with the bellows extend upwardlyover the bottom rail and through the notches 16 so that the panels mayslide over them in the same way as has been described in connection withthe other links so that practically everything is concealed. All this isaccomplished without ,materially weakening the bottom or pedal rail andit adds greatly to the appearance of the instrument, and gives a strong,compact and convenient construction.

lllhile l have illustrated and described one form in which the inventionmay be carried out, l am aware that, it may be modilied in many ways bya person skilled in the art without departing from the scope of theinvention as expressed in the claims. Therefore, l do not wish to belimited to all the details of construction shown, buth that l do claimis :w

l. rlhe combination with the bottom or pedal rail of a musicalinstrument casing, of pedal connections extending outwardly under saidrail and folding back over the rail when the pedals are turned back intothe casing.

The combination with the bottom or pedal rail of a musical instrumentcasing, of pedal connections extending outwardly under said rail andfolding' back over the rail when the pedals are turned back into theeasing, said connections each comprising two pivotally connected. links,the outer end of one of them terminating just outside the bottom of therail, and the other extending upwardly therefrom and having a formationsimilar to that of the front and top oit' the rail, whereby when thepedals are withdrawn into the casing it will lie vertically along thesurface of the rail.

3. The combination with the bottom or pedal rail of a musical instrumentcasing having ay molding on top provided with a notch, of pedalconnections comprisingl a link adapted to fold back over the rail whenthe pedals are withdrawn into the casingl and having two arms, oneadapted to lie vertically along the front of the rail and the other atsubstantially right angles thereto adapted to lie in said notch when thepedals are withdrawn into the easing.

fl. rl`he combination with the bottom or pedal rail of a musicalinstrument casing, of pedal connections extending outwardly under saidrail and folding back over the rail when the pedals are turned back intothe easing, said rail having a molding provided with a horizontal notch,and said connections comprising a link connected with the bellows andhaving` a shape conforming to the front and top ofthe rail, and adaptedto extend through said notch when the pedals are folded within thecasing.

5. The combination with the bottom or pedal rail of a musical instrumentcasing ha ving a notch at the top thereof, of pedal connectionseoniprising a link adapted to fold back over the rail when the pedalsare withdrawn into the casing and. having two arms, one adapted to lievertically along the front of the rail and the other at substantiallyright angles thereto adapted to lie in said notch when the pedals arewithdrawn into the casing, a second link pivoted to the inside of therail and shaped to extend over the top thereof when the pedals are drawnout into operative position.

G. lhe combination with a musical instrument casing having a panel inthe front thereof, and a bottom or pedal rail provided with two sets ofnotches at the top thereof, of pedals and pedal connections, said pedalconnections comprising` two sets et links, those of one set pivotedoutside the casing near the bottom of the lower rail and having a shapeconforming to that/of the outer and top surfaces of the lower rail, andconnected with the top of the pedals, and those of the other setconnected with the bottom of the pedals and pivoted insidethe rail andextending upwardly around the lrail through one of the sets of notcheswhen the pedals are not in operative position, the first named set oflinks extending through the other set of notches when the pedals arefolded within the casing.

T. The con'ibination with a piano casing having a lower opening and abottom or pedal rail, of pedals and pedal connections comprising a setof links connected with the bottom of the pedals and pivoted to theinside ot said rail and extending upwardly over the top thereof when thepedals are drawn out, and a, second set of links in ovably pivoted nearthe front of the bottom of the rail and connected with the tops of thepedals, and having a shape conforming substantially to that of the frontand top of the rail.

8. The combination with a piano case, of a front board therefor, a panelmoimtcd to slide on said front board, said case comprising a lower frontrail under said panel and along which the panel is adapted to slide andhaving notches, and a pedal n'iechanism comprising links adapted to reston the upper surface of said rail and pass through the notches thereinwhen 'the pedals are folded within the easing and when they are extendedoutwardly for playing, in such position that the panel slides over thelinks.

ln testimonywhereof l have herermto set my hand, in the presence ot twosubscribing witnesses.

PETER 'WE JN. lllitnesses (lr-marins F. Vance, EDwrN B. PMU.

